Posted on 03/05/2005 11:39:59 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (AP) - More than 20 armed FBI agents raided the U.S. territory's government offices Thursday, blocking the entrances to the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
The government's main computer room was also cordoned off, witnesses said.
Authorities would not disclose the reason for the raid. Last fall, a government committee said Lt. Gov. Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia was being investigated as part of a corruption probe.
The 7 a.m. raid occurred before most government workers arrived; they were allowed access to the office of Gov. Togiola T.A. Tulafono about an hour later. The computer room and attorney general's office, however, remained blocked several hours after the raid. Senior FBI agents also met with Sunia.
Sunia appeared on the state-run television station KVZK-TV Thursday night and said the FBI did not tell him the details surrounding the investigation. He said he cooperated, but criticized his treatment by the agents.
"As acting chief executive officer of this territory, I feel that I deserved much better treatment and courtesy than what was extended to me by these federal agents," Sunia said.
Tulafono was in Washington attending meetings Thursday.
FBI Special Agent Arnold Laanui in Honolulu confirmed agents executed a search warrant but declined to comment on the nature of the investigation.
About 20 of the federal agents arrived aboard a military plane that remained at Pago Pago International Airport Thursday afternoon.
In September, a government committee recommended Sunia be placed on leave and his name removed from the ballot because he was being investigated for allegations of corruption, violation of purchasing laws and misappropriation of public funds in transactions related to a company owned by him and his wife.
Tulafono called the investigation a witch hunt during an election year. Tulafono and Sunia were re-elected in November.
American Samoa is a U.S. territory about 2,300 miles south of Hawaii. It has a population of 58,000.
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BTTT
This must have been serious. They usually send unarmed FBI agents to carry out raids..... 8~)
It WAS serious. It was quite a hoot. Shut down the Attorney General's Office for the entire day..
Wow. The FBI Agent I talked to at the AG's Office even had those cute little glovies on..
Congressman Billybob
They had a sign on the AG's Office, "Office CLOSED until further notice"..
They then had an armed agent in the lobby looking very unhappy with a holstered Glock informing anyone who couldn't read that the office was closed
Luckily, I know a few agents, and when I asked to leave a message, the unhappy agent actually went into the back and produced the agent.
Added some excitement in our boring life on this little island..
How cool is that to be able to chat with one of the Agents!
By the way, the suits went away in the South Pacific ever since the tourist walking by two agents crouching down commented to his buddy 'bout the FBI agents. They gots to wear Aloha shirts ever since..
THOUGH, they had these white polo shirts on Thursday, with the designation SWAT on it.
My guess is that there is a local FBI office already there, since Samoa is a US territory. Or maybe the uniform is Hawaiian shirts, khaki colored shorts and flip flops. However, I'm guessing that they wear suits.
LOL, cracking myself up thinking about an FBI agent saying "Surf's up, Dude" or "Aloha, Roger willco, that's a hang ten, look sharp." / Saturday afternoon silliness
Could this have something to do with Hunter S. Thompson? He was known to run with some drug-crazed Samoans.
Um, his LAWYER was Samoan... NOT drug crazed, thank you very much..
I was cheering from Pava'ia'i.
Quite a few of the businessmen on the island celebrated at some of the favorite watering holes.
It was about time.
And the Feds probably came armed just in case. The entrenched corrupt officials might have tried to burn down the building rather than let them collect the evidence. Then they would've tried to get the Federal Government to pay for a new building, whose funds would be hijacked quicker than you can say "Fa'alavelave".
Keep in mind that the Executive Branch has failed to turn over its records for years to Archives and Records. There's a lot of evidence of past corruption scattered throughout the buildings. Conveniently lost to Fono (legislature) subpoenas.
Welcome to the wonderful world of "American Funded Banana Republics" in the South Pacific.
I hope this means the Feds will cart away the bad guys and let us try to build a more accountable government.
In other news, let's establish a Federal District Court and office for the FBI here in Samoa. It would make matters of jurisdiction a matter of fact, than one open for debate. (American Samoa is not within the jurisdiction of any Federal Court, but no judge down here is stupid enough to rule that way and find themselves in contempt of a Federal Court, should they want to travel to the United States proper any time in the future.)
Nothing but silence since the Bureau left, but we shall see what comes next.
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